KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday directed the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) of the province to complete its inquiry in the tractor subsidy scheme within 30 days.
SHC issued the orders while disposing of a petition of the owner of Shahzad Trade Links, an importer of agriculture tractors. It issued the directors after ACE Sindh director submitted before the court in a sworn statement that no further inquiry has been initiated against the petitioner in the matter about the tractor subsidy scheme of the provincial government.
The petitioner had alleged that ACE on the behest of Omni Group had registered two cases against him for the same offence in the tractor subsidy scheme. He had also claimed that the ACE had recently another inquiry for the same offence at the Omni Group’s behest.
A day earlier a two-member bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Karim Khan Agha, had summoned Sindh chief secretary to appear in person. The summons were issued after the bench noted that a discreet inquiry has once again opened against the petitioner and prima facie. It was also observed that Director ACE Karachi Shahzad Afzal and Director ACE Hyderabad Irfan Ali Arbab were acting in a mala fide manner.
When the chief secretary appeared before the court on Wednesday he informed the bench that as of yet no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against the petitioner. He also assured the court that when the inquiry is completed, he will apply his fair and judicious mind in approving the matter to proceed further.
The bench observed that keeping the background and particular facts and circumstances of the case, where two FIRs have already been filed in respect of similar offences against the petitioner, the petitioner would extend his full cooperation with the investigation officer who would expeditiously and honestly complete the inquiry within 30 days.